Spiffy:

Iffy:

Halo 2 is still the hottest thing going; how extensive is Live?

DOOM 3 set a graphical benchmark for PCs, while continuing the most famous first-person shooter series of all time. A console version was announced not long after its release, but anyone with a drop of pessimism in their body doubted it would do justice to the epic game. From the look of the closed-doors CES demo we received from Microsoft, you're going to be eating your words like zombies munch flesh.

The powers-that-be are extremely insistent that DOOM 3 on Xbox is not a port. Their aversion to this moniker isn't for the obvious reason. In fact, it's because the game features more modes along with tweaks to existing elements of the PC game. Strange but true, loyal reader. For one, the Xbox version will feature co-op via Xbox Live. That's a feature even the beloved Halo 2 omitted from its finished product. Because of the differences two human players cause to the story elements and cutscenes, new dialogue was recorded and missions were altered to make more sense. Compare this to many other co-op games, where NPCs say the same thing whether they're supposed to be talking to one or two heroes.

When I saw the game running, I had to search the perimeter make sure that those crafty Microsoft representatives didn't have a high-end PC hidden under a table or something. I'm serious -- it looks incredible: the lighting is there, the animation is there, and the normal mapping is there. Vicarious Visions and id gave the Xbox platform a massive group hug in order to squeeze out every ounce of graphical power the console could muster.

Likewise, the audio is very impressive. It supports 5.1, meaning you'll hear evil, demonic things creeping up behind you or slinking toward you around corners. As cool as it is to play in your leather chair at your computer desk, DOOM 3 takes on a whole other dimension when you're in a darkened living room, snuggled in a couch in front of a big TV with the speakers blaring buckshot. That experience alone makes the game worth checking out, even if you already plowed through it on PC.